Wired is reporting that Apple is readying to release its iTunes online music store for Windows PCs as early as this week. Over the weekend, I downloaded and tested MUSICMATCH
, which some think will "own" the Windows market. My first impression is that it is a mediocre knockoff of the iTunes UI (user interface). And the song selection is still far from great. I tried to download "Red Light", the hit new single by Johnny Lang and it doesn't exist -- despite the fact the album hit stores today and the track has been on radio waves for a month. Personally, I am hoping that Apple is able to make iTunes for Windows the success it already is on the Mac.
Then there is Napster. The service that started it all is back, or at least its cat logo is. Roxio bought the intellectual property rights to it earlier this year and is slapping it on a repurposed pressplay, picked up from the bargain basement of the labels' first failed attempts at a secure online music service. It hasn't launched yet, but they are aggressively promoting a pre-registration for Napster with 5 free tracks. That may be the last time you see "free" and "Napster" in the same sentence.
Finally, some commentary....
NetMusicCountdown: "Another hurdle facing Napster 2.0 is the announcement from Apple that their extremely successful marriage of iTunes, the iPod and the iTunes Music Store is about to go Windows. Apple's integration is legendary, and the recreation of one of the most satisfying downloading and streaming experiences to date for the average Windows user will be a benchmark hard to beat."